Archaeological Leather Group

2018 Spring Meeting and AGM

Saturday 28th April, 11.00am to 4.00pm, Northampton

For our Spring meeting and AGM we will be visiting the National Leather Collection/
Museum of Leathercraft at Northampton (on Floor 2 of the Grosvenor Shopping Centre, NN1 2EW).
Apart from the opportunity to see the Museum’s new displays and facilities there will be a guest speaker,
Tom Rusbridge, from the University of Birmingham.

Tom is currently working on a PhD in the Department of History, using the case studies of leather objects (saddles, chairs and drinking vessels)
as part of a study of consumerism in the early modern period. In his talk, Tom will give us an overview of his
research as well as illustrate some key findings by looking at some examples from the museum’s collection.
He has recently written an illustrated blog, which you might find interesting:

*There are a number of cafés in the Grosvenor Centre and also places to buy a sandwich
and drink if you prefer to eat back at the Museum.

AGM Business

Vivi Lena Anderson comes to the end of her second and last term as Ordinary Member
and we thank her for her contribution to the committee over the past years. Don’t worry,
we will be seeing more of Vivi as we hope to visit the Museum of Copenhagen and the
National Museum of Denmark next year.

We will need to elect a new Ordinary Member at the AGM. The position is open to any
member who has not served in that capacity for a year, so if you are interested in
joining the committee please get in touch with either Yvette Fletcher or Quita Mould.

Angela Middleton comes to the end of her first term as Meetings Co-ordinator but happily
is willing to serve a second term. Her work load in 2018-19 will be heavy so the rest of
the committee are preparing to help where ever they can.

The minutes of the last year’s AGM can be found in the Members’ section of this website.

Quita Mould (Secretary)

2018 Autumn Meeting

Saturday 6th - Sunday 7th October

A visit to Ramsgate Maritime Museum and Chatham Historic Dockyard is planned for a weekend in October.
At Ramsgate we will be able to view leather from the wreck of the Stirling Castle (sank 1703).
The museum displays some fine examples of leather book covers as well as other fascinating artefacts from this wreck.

At the Chatham Dockyard we will hopefully be joined by the original excavator of the wreck of the first
HMS Invincible, John Bingeman. He can share his first-hand account of diving on this wreck with us.
Our study visit will enable us to look at specific leather items from the Invincible which are not on display.

Following lunch, we will be able to look around the Historic Dockyard.
The “Command of the Oceans” and “Victorian Ropery” should be of particular interest,
but with 400 years of maritime history spread over 80 acres, there should be plenty to keep us occupied in the afternoon.

More details will be avaliable here nearer the time and in the September Newsletter.